theROCK

in Truth

Perceiving Truth

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Epiphanies happen when we least expect them. My late mother used to love to read murder mysteries and would often go back through the books she read long after the dramatic conclusion was revealed – which she would usually get correct! She would then explain to the rest of us about how she had missed such obvious clues in the book but would still, usually, get the answer correct regardless. I remember asking her about it – how could she possibly still get it correct even when she would miss the hints, clues, and other pieces of evidence the whole time. She simply stated that it was just something inside of her, her own intuition and ability to perceive the truth. How simple an answer this is, but in reflecting upon it, what great power it carries: to be able to take less than obvious signs in a complex situation and realize the greater truth that would otherwise not be readily explained. I liken this to the situation of the Magi and to those who would hear the early preaching of Christ. To hear the literal words of Christ and, perhaps, not fully comprehend what they are bearing witness to. Continue to seek and know those moments in your life – to encounter Christ in them!

in Love, Jesus

Live Loved

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Have you ever experienced an epiphany? That moment when everything you thought or ever believed was forever changed, but for the better. I sure did. My epiphany came when I was sixteen years old. This is the moment when I realized that the only love I ever needed, or shall I say needed to accept, was that of Jesus. For you see, when I was sixteen, I attempted to take my life because I just didn’t feel loved. I felt alone. I felt unwanted. This was all despite the tremendous love I knew I had from my family and friends. I was craving something more and just wasn’t getting it. I knew that love existed in Heaven. As it dawned on me what I was doing and what that meant for my soul, I prayed to Jesus that, should He get me out of this situation, I would surrender my life to Him. In trying to end my life, I saved it by placing it squarely in His hands. That epiphany carries me through life: Lord, my life is in your hands. The love I knew, but hadn’t accepted, was the love of Jesus, even though I had known Him my whole life.

While I have lots of words to express my love for Jesus and my undying appreciation for Him and His Blessed Mother, I wish to share with you the words of author Max Lucado from a small little booklet entitled A Love Worth Giving To You at Christmas (2002).

Accept the love that came in the form of a newborn babe. Accept the forgiveness and grace bought for you through the cruel, nail-piercing reality of the Cross. Accept his love won for you through the victory of his resurrection. Let this love worth giving fill you, flood you, and change you forever. Live in the knowledge and acceptance of this love. Live loved.

Remember, God loves you simply because he has chosen to do so. He loves you when you don’t feel lovely. He loves you when no one else loves you. Others may abandon you, divorce you, and ignore you, but God will love you. Always. No matter what.

It is love worth giving. To you.

Water

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Water is used two times during the Mass, not counting when I purify my chalice. The first time we use water is during the offertory when the gifts of bread and wine are brought forth. There is a moment that you have probably seen, when the priest or deacon pours a small drop of water in the chalice with the wine.

The wine in this moment represents the divinity of Jesus, that he is God, the water represents our humanity, so that as they are mingled together you cannot distinguish the two. It is reflection on the mystery we celebrate every Christmas when God became man, he took on our humanness and in a sense allowed us to take on his godliness. Now this as you can understand this is not an equal trade, getting godliness is much better than humanness, which is the reason why we use a cupful of wine, but only a small drop of water. We do not use equal parts.

And this is reflected in the prayer the priest or deacon says quietly as he pours the water into the wine. He prays, “Through the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ (represented by the wine), as he humbled himself to share in our humanity (represented by the water)”.  

The second time water is used is when the priest washes his hands right before the consecration. And this done for more reason than just proper hygiene. The clue again is found in the quiet prayer the priest says as he washes his hands. He prays, “Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin”.

The priest, knowing he is a sinful man, prays to God that he may make him both clean on the outside and on the inside. For as we know looking holy and being holy do not always match up. The priest washes his physical hands so that he may be clean before holding the Body and Blood of Jesus and he prays for his soul to be washed before he consumes and receives the Body and Blood of Jesus. 

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